Akmal Khozhiev, a 3-1 mixed martial artist who last competed in March of 2020 at an event titled Brawl in Tamuning, Guam, was picked up by police on November 6 following a stabbing at his apartment. He has been charged with Aggravated Murder and Aggravated Assault, Use of a Deadly Weapon in the Commission of a Felony, Strangulation, Felonious Restraint, Assault, as well as Family Violence.

According to a report by the Guam Daily Post, citing a witness to the incident, Khoziev and Dr. Miran Ribati, a radiologist, began arguing over COVID-19 vaccinations during a dinner. That lead to the fighter known as “AK” to tell the doctor that “I don’t trust you anymore.”

Khoziev proceeded to choke the doctor, until the witness intervened. The fighter then obtained a bone left over from the meal, which he used to stab Ribati repeatedly in the neck.

Ribati tried to escape, only to suffer additional stab wounds from a knife. The witness was struck about the head during the altercation. In the end, Ribati was left lying face down in a pool of his own blood. When police arrived on the scene, he reportedly told an officer “Sir, it’s me, it’s me, I killed him.”

Tragically, Khoziev’s former teammates had warned that something was off about the fighter. JJ Ambrose, a Bellator MMA and KOTC veteran who recently competed against UFC alum Spike Carlyle under the Cage Warriors banner, owned the gym, Steel Athletics, where Khoziev trained, and employed him for a time.

“He was such a great person up until he wasn’t,” Ambrose told KUAM News. “We did everything we possibly could to warn people that AK wasn’t AK anymore.” His wife, Francesca, added “He was not the guy that everyone knew from around the gym anymore.”

The victim also trained at Steel Athletics, which Khoziev was fired from several months ago for threatening customers. “Miran was like the one guy that was supporting him,” Ambrose stated. “Such a great person, he was a doctor and he was always in the gym working out and taking care of his health and fitness. He was one of those doctors that leads from the front so to hear about him being the victim it’s a shocker.”

Updated 11/16/2021 to note Khoziev is Tajik but born in/represented Russia.

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Bellator MMA returned to action Friday with Bellator 193, live from Temecula, CA. In the co-main event of the evening, Saad Awad took on J.J. Ambrose. Awad had felt the fight perhaps wasn’t pushed the way it should have been leading into the event, and planned on putting on a show.

Award opened with a leg kick, then another before letting his hands go. Within the first minute no fewer than four leg kicks had landed for Awad, with Ambrose looking pained from each and every one. Just prior to the halfway point of the round, Awad also got his left hook going. Ambrose had little in the way of an answer; Saad Awad more often than not wasn’t there the the counters came. Late in the round Ambrose would land a few left hands, and managed to take Awad to the ground late, but Awad was able to scramble free.

Ambrose’s leg looked reminiscent of Rory MacDonald’s a week earlier after the first round, though not quite to the same extent.

In the second, Awad worked in a little Stockton Slap early. He later took the back of Ambroke, and while he’d lose the position, he had his opponent in a head lock and transitioned to the back again. Awad was still in control by the midway mark, and though Ambrose was still standing, it wasn’t for long. Awad took him down and took the back, locking in the body triangle. With over two minutes remaining, he had plenty of time to work. Ambrose, however, proved to have adequate defense and escaped back to his feet. With Awad dragging him down once more, however, it was not a good round for Ambrose, who ate knees to the body along the fence as the clock wound down. A late standing guillotine and later D’arce attempt didn’t improve his fortunes much.

Saad Awad launched a high kick early in the third, while J.J. Ambrose shot for a takedown early and landed it. Awad, however, was able to power back up, but had to be aware of Ambrose’s front choke attempts. Along the fence, Ambrose was able to take the back, and peppered his opponent with some short punches. It was Awad, however, scoring a takedown next, and moving to side control. The late change in momentum made the frame a difficult one to score, and Awad finished the fight in top position. Going to the judges, however, it was unanimous.

Saad Awad def. J.J. Ambrose by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 193’s Saad Awad said after his win at Bellator 186 that he was looking for respect. Awad, amidst a lengthy career in the promotion (along with appearances in KOTC and Strikeforce), has been a mainstay in Bellator the past several years. Yet once again at Bellator 193, he’s paired up with an opponent not exactly known to casual fans. This, despite being in the co-main event.

Awad spoke to the media Wednesday about his opponent, improving his game, and the keys to success — which he feels involves avoiding the scorecards.

“As long as I stay away from going to decisions, don’t get robbed by the judges, I think I’m good” the lightweight said. And he’d like to avoid the judges more frequently, if possible. ‘If it was up to me I’d fight five times a year.”

Awad’s opponent, J.J. Ambrose, is just 1-2 in Bellator, and hasn’t fought for the promotion in years. Aside from a single fight under the Affliction banner, he’s mostly appeared at regional shows. “He definitely wasn’t on my radar” Awad told the media Wednesday. “I knew who he was, we fought on the California circuit for a long time, he’s a local guy.”

“At the end of the day, they could bring up any random name,” he continued, “and I don’t really think about too many guys in the division. I’m just looking to fight, and whoever they give me, I don’t gotta really think about it. I never really think about the guy until I sign the contract.”

Having done that, “I’ve been training really hard, so I’m not afraid to throw as hard as I can for fifteen minutes” Awad promised. “Before, I was afraid to throw my power because I was afraid I was going to get tired. I’ve been putting in a lot of time with my strength and conditioning coach, so I can throw as hard as I want for fifteen minutes. And if I have to, it can be twenty-five minutes.”

When the question of respect was posed to him, something he brought up following his last fight at Bellator 186, Awad answered “have you seen them promote this fight yet?”

“That said, I am the co-main event,” he concluded, “and I’m going to make noise this fight. I’m going to go out there and be exiting. It’s one of those things, you’re not going to be able to look away.”

Saad Awad faces J.J. Ambrose at Bellator 193 on Friday in Temecula, California. The main card airs free on the Paramount Network starting at 9PM EST.

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